Victim: West London youth worker Suzanne Fernandes was sent racially offensive material on Twitter, including photographs, pornography and death threats (Picture: Nigel Howard) NIGEL HOWARD

Scotland Yard is failing to tackle internet trolls and should become the centre for a new national specialist unit to stop other forces being “overwhelmed”, a report today warns.

It says police in England and Wales lack the specialist skills needed to deal with online hate crime as reported offences soar.

The report says that in London online hate crime is “not specifically budgeted or resourced” for, while police methods vary greatly across boroughs and are “insufficient”.

The failure of all forces to tackle the issue is allowing trolls to “act online with impunity and has fostered a breeding ground for hate crime”.

The report, due to be published today but seen in advance by the Standard, also calls for the Government to introduce a “stand-alone offence” for online attacks, making it easier to prosecute offenders. It points to figures showing that last year the Met received 1,207 crime reports in which Facebook was mentioned, a 21 per cent rise in two years, while the number involving Twitter increased by 19 per cent.

The report, which surveyed hundreds of alleged victims, suggests that only nine per cent of alleged online hate crimes nationwide are investigated.

London Assembly member Andrew Boff, author of the report, said: “Victims are left feeling isolated by online hate attacks and often feel like there is nobody to turn to.

“They feel police can’t be turned to because they are overwhelmed by the number of cases and are unable to provide the level of support somebody would expect. If the police can’t help, who do they go to? That’s why this unit is needed. We’re talking about pretty appalling hate crimes.”

Although it is a problem for all forces in England and Wales, the report says that the unit of IT specialists should be housed within Scotland Yard and coordinate a nationwide response. It would act as a “point of liaison” with internet service and social media providers, with each force contributing funding.

The report, #ReportHate: Combating Online Hatred, says: “With online hate crime on the rise and draining police force resources, the proposed unit is necessary to alleviate the burden currently faced by police officers. Additionally, it would create a better service to victims of hate crime online.”

It says existing legislation is “muddled” and “obsolete”, and calls for new laws to create specific offences relating to online hate crime.

It adds that reported abuses are “just the tip of an ever-growing iceberg”, with only 16 per cent of alleged victims in London surveyed by researchers saying they reported it to police.

A Met spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police Service is committed to tackling hate crime in all its forms, and has long since recognised the impact of hate crime on communities and the hidden nature of this crime, which remains largely under-reported.

"We take positive action to investigate all hate crime allegations, support victims and their families and bring perpetrators to justice. We are always seeking ways to further improve our response to hate crime and increase reporting, and are willing to consider alternative ways of enhancing our investigative response and victim support, working closely with our partners.

"The Met's recently formed hate crime senior partnership group focuses on creating and delivering an effective hate crime operational strategy for London. This is being developed in partnership with strategic and community partners, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to reducing the harm caused by hate crime and increase the confidence of victims.

"In addition, the Met's online hate crime working group has been set up to respond specifically to online hate crime and explore ways to tackle the issue. As part of this work, the group will consider the publication of the London Assembly report and the suggestions made.

"If anyone feels that they are the victim of hate crime, we would urge all victims to come forward and report any incident or crime as soon as possible.

"All 32 London boroughs have a dedicated Community Safety Unit (CSU) with more than 500 specially trained officers across the Met who investigate hate crime and domestic abuse."

‘I believe they are out of their depth’

Suzanne Fernandes, a youth worker from west London, was sent racially offensive material on Twitter, including photographs, pornography and death threats.

The troll, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also obtained a picture of her young son through Facebook and used it to create a fake account sending lurid tweets.

She told the Standard: “I’m not the same person. I felt completely panic-stricken, and when they used my son’s picture it was the breaking point. I had to get counselling.

“I decided to report the matter to the police and in the early days of the investigation was given the impression I was wasting the police’s time. They are out of their depth. I feel there should be a dedicated unit for victims.”